Chapter 2 part 2
Can I Call You Cas?
Castiel watched Alyce very, very carefully and he didn't have to read her mind to know how much it was freaking her out. Also as he learned that she likes her personal space and she learned that it hurts to punch an angel in the face, she was holding her hand softly, refusing to allow him to heal her.
Alyce was strange, odd. She didn't dress like Dean, Sam or Bobby who he'd been watching for a while now. Right now she was wearing an oversized cardigan with the sleeves pulled up and underneath a t-shirt that said 'Star Trek'… whatever that was. Her trousers were skin tight, they clung to her legs, he wondered how she could possibly walk in such material. It certainly didn't look comfortable. Then her shoes went over these trousers – he suspected her trousers were to tight for them to go under - , they were brown and… leathery. Humans were strange, Alyce was stranger.
She was placing glasses on, wide ones with rather large rims and she was muttering about contacts or something. Maybe she needed to contact someone…
Then she picked up some weird contraption with little buttons and walked out of the room, she didn't lay her eyes on him once. When she walked back inside she was holding a bottle and the thing was pressed to her ear using her shoulder, she muttered angrily into it while she used both hands to open the lid on the bottle. "Dammit, Dean," she half growled. He got the impression that she didn't like being in the dark about things. She took the contraption again and pressed the buttons quite forcibly and this time her eyes widened slightly, she looked relieved. "Sam! Where are you guys?" she asked quite hurriedly. Then she pressed a hand over her mouth and Castiel wondered what was wrong. "Olivia? As in Olivia Lowry?" she looked upset now. Something was wrong with this Olivia and Alyce obviously knew her. "Carl and R.C too? Oh my god."
"Yeah… yeah... I know I'll be fine… ok just hurry back alright? Kay take care of yourselves… you too," she then pressed a button and the thing turned off. Castiel, from what he had observed understood that the thing was a communicative device. Either that or Alyce was stranger than he first thought and enjoyed speaking into inanimate objects.
She sat down on a chair in the room that held lot's of books and he looked at her. He was just standing there, keeping an eye on her just in case. He wondered if he should tell her about the coming apocalypse, she'd find out soon enough what with the Witnesses that were attacking hunters. He suspected that the people she had got so upset about were hunters attacked by Witnesses.
"You know, you can sit down," she said, speaking up for the first time.
Castiel frowned but slowly sat himself down on a seat beside her which stood in front of a large desk that held what looked like hundreds more books.
"So, uh. Are you actually an angel?" she asked him, she turned to sit more comfortably in the chair, wrapped her arms around her legs and pulled them up to her chest.
Castiel nodded, "Yes," he said and Alyce frowned.
"Why did you raise Dean from Hell?" He could tell she had a lot of questions. He was of course willing to answer as long as he didn't let anything… slip. She could never know about the night her mother gave her to her uncle.
"Because God commanded it."
Alyce snorted, "No really."
Castiel frowned, he paused for a moment. Why did so many not believe in the one man who put them here in the first place? Why didn't they have any faith?
"It's true," he said slowly. "It was my orders 'Dean Winchester must be raised from Hell' this is my first time back on earth in at least two thousand years." Well, that was a lie. Castiel came back in 1983 to visit Angela Jackson and warn her. He wanted to stay longer and observe human beings but he was called back to Heaven almost immediately, so he thanked his vessel at the time and left. So the only real human interaction he had received was from Angela, though very scared at the time.
He would like to know more about humans…
Alyce raised her eyebrow but said nothing for a moment. She shook her head then, "I dunno, God just seems like a load of bull. Why would he let his creation just… ruin itself like this," she frowned. The world was gone to hell and she knew it. God wasn't real, and she wasn't gonna let some little dude in a trench coat convince her otherwise.
"You shouldn't speak about him like that. He made you," Castiel said quietly, not looking at her.
"No, Cas – can I call you that? – the glory of sexual intercourse and the dodgy condoms of the 80's is what made me," she said in a matter of fact voice. She then stood up and walked out of the room, she came back later with another bottle and set it down beside her rather large shotgun.
Castiel hadn't replied to her last statement because, truthfully he couldn't quite understand it. One thing he did understand though, Alyce Jackson was a strange individual.
Alyce's afternoon was spent reading Bobby's books on lore and trying not to feel Castiel's rather heavy gaze while she did. It was difficult to concentrate on anything with him in the room and she was counting down the minutes until he left her alone again. In all truth, he scared her, he really did. If he was an angel – and that was a big if – well, they're pretty powerful right? She couldn't imagine standing up and fighting him and it going well for her. Also, she really didn't want another headache.
But something that really got her was that he was so familiar. She didn't know his face from anywhere, his voice wasn't bringing any recognition… no it was him. Not his appearance. And it was strange because she knew that she never met him before. She knew it.
Her eyes peeped slowly over the tip of the book and she saw Castiel there. Staring at her. Again. She opened her mouth to say something when she heard the bang of a car door outside, she looked to the window and then Castiel. "I'll be right back," she said going to the front door and stepping outside to see Bobby walking toward her, "Where's Sam and Dean?" she asked him as she scanned the front yard for Dean's beloved Impala.
"On their way," he replied. He looked freaked out, "You okay?" he asked her a tone of concern rung high in his voice.
"Yeah- Bobby what the hell is going on? An old friend dropped by earlier," she said referring to the ghost that had almost tried to kill her, until Castiel came along. Which reminded her, he was still inside.
"Ghosts are popping up and taking their revenge on hunters who let 'em die," he said walking past her, giving her shoulder a squeeze as he did. His way of telling her he was glad she was okay. Bobby wasn't big on affection. "How many times did you get attacked?" he asked her glancing around the room.
"Just the once," she said strolling into the library again only to find Castiel gone. She frowned and returned to Bobby once more. "I'm gonna get some more weapons from the car," she said, frowning. She was worried about this ghost thing getting out of hand. If it could get any more out of hand that is.
Bobby nodded at her and she walked outside again into the fresh air, breathing it in like it was her last. She walked toward her '81 DeLorean which Dean teased her endlessly about but she didn't care. In her opinion, her car was 'bitchin'.
She popped open the trunk to reveal her collection of weapons, she grabbed an iron knife, previously Caleb's and loaded up her gun some more. She closed the trunk to see the Impala pulling up beside her.
"Going Back to the Future?" Dean asked her in a mocking tone.
"Good to see you too," she muttered sliding her knife into her boot. She saw Sam's bruised face and her eyes widened slightly, "Sam, what happened?"
"Henriksen attacked me in a gas station," he said, frowning.
Alyce shook her head.
"How about you? You're looking fine," Dean pointed out, leaning on the hood of her car.
"Uh yeah, Danny Jameson stopped by, I'm fine though… Cas stopped him before he ripped my stomach out," she said, wondering if she should tell them about the angel's appearance to her. Too late now anyway.
"Cas?" Dean frowned, not sure what she meant. She'd forgotten that it was only a nickname.
"Uh, yeah Castiel. He came by." She scratched her head awkwardly. That was her nature though, awkwardness.
Dean looked alarmed, and he had ever right to be. If Castiel was as dangerous as they thought then why shouldn't he be worried if the angel dropped in on his friend?
"Don't worry, he seems harmless enough," she said shrugging. "Look we should get back to Bobby in case another ghost turns up," she said picking up her shotgun. She didn't like leaving him in there alone for so long.
The boys nodded and started towards the house, Alyce pushed her glasses further up on the bridge of her nose, making a mental note to buy some more contacts whenever she got the chance. They stepped, quietly and carefully through the front door. "Bobby?" she called out when he was nowhere to be found. They got no answer. "He was right here," Alyce murmured softly.
Dean pointed to the stairs, "I'll go, Sammy take outside, Alyce basement. And for God's sake be careful," he said obviously referring to her recklessness. She stuck her tongue out at him. She had her weapons, she was fine.
She turned the knob on the door of the basement and let it open slowly before stepping through, gun cocked. She slowly stepped down each stair, surveying the room. "Bobby?" she hissed. Suddenly she was flying through the air, she hit a wall and fell to the ground, her gun slid across the room.
"Do you let your little boyfriend fight all your battles, Alyce?" Danny's mocking voice rang through her ears as he stepped into vision.
She spat out some blood and tried to stand but Danny hit her in the stomach and she fell to the floor again, groaning. She was desperate to whine 'he's not my boyfriend!' but God that's just embarrassing.
Danny crouched down and grabbed her hair, lurching her forward. "Are you ready to pay the price for what you did to me?" he whispered in her ear. "This may hurt a-"
He was cut off and soon disappeared when Alyce drew her knife through him. "Quit it with the dialogues," she muttered standing up with effort and walking across the room to pick up her gun. As she did, she noticed something for the first time. It was a huge iron door. She stared for a moment but decided she should probably get out of there. A ghost could appear any second.
"So they're all people we know?" Sam asked as Dean handed Alyce a glass of water, she took it gratefully. The taste of blood in her mouth was grossing her out.
"Not just people we know. People we couldn't save. Hey, I saw something on Meg. Did she have a tattoo when she was alive?" Dean said stepping away from Alyce and leaning again a book shelf.
"I don't think so…"
"I saw something on Danny too," Alyce said, biting her lip. She knew he hadn't had it before, she would've remembered. "It was more like a mark or a brand. It was on his hand."
"I saw a mark too, on Henriksen," said Sam.
Bobby asked Sam what it looked like so he got a pen and paper and drew sketch of it. "That's the one," Alyce nodded, standing up to see what Sam had drawn.
Bobby frowned as he looked at the paper, "I may have seen this before. We've got to move."
"Where are we going?" Sam asked.
"Some place safe, you idiot," Bobby said as he picked up a handful of books and led them toward the basement. Alyce had a fare idea where they were going, she knew she was right when Bobby opened the huge iron door she saw earlier and noticed that it was made completely out of iron inside too, there were pentagrams and devils traps too.
"You made a safe room?" Alyce said, eyebrow raised.
"I had a weekend off," Bobby shrugged.
"Bobby," Dean had a look of pure amusement on his face.
"What?"
"You're awesome."
Alyce sat with Sam and Dean at a table made out of, you guessed it, iron. Alyce was impressed with Bobby's panic room. It was pretty awesome, perfect for their lifestyle. She realised how insane it was through that they had to build a panic room made out of iron of all things.
"See this is why I can't get behind God," Dean said suddenly. Alyce looked up, she understood that Dean didn't believe in God but Castiel- well she believed that he was an angel. He was so sincere but his faith in God was just too much.
"What are you talking about?" Sam asked him, he wore the same expression as Alyce. Confusion.
"If he doesn't exist, fine. Bad crap happens to good people. That's how it is. There's no rhyme or reason - Just random, horrible, evil - I get it, okay. I can roll with that. But if he is out there, what's wrong with him? Where the hell is he while all these decent people are getting torn to shreds? How does he live with himself? You know, why doesn't he help?
Alyce listened to what Dean said, she agreed. If God was real, then what was he doing while innocent people were ripped apart and tortured. Why didn't he care? Maybe Cas had too much faith in something that wasn't there.
"I ain't touching this one with at 10-Foot pole. -Found it." Bobby piped in.
"What?" Sam said, looking from Dean to Bobby.
"The symbol you saw - - The brand on the ghosts... yeah? Mark of the witness."
"Witness? Witness to what?" Alyce asked. She'd heard of the witness before… just where was it?
"The unnatural. None of them died what you'd call ordinary deaths. See, these ghosts - They were forced to rise. They woke up in agony. They were like rabid dogs. It ain't their fault. Someone rose them... on purpose."
"Who?"
"Do I look like I know? But whoever it was used a spell so powerful It left a mark, a brand on their souls. Whoever did this had big plans. It's called "the rising of the witnesses." It figures into an ancient prophecy."
"Wait, wait. What – what book is that prophecy from?" Dean asked.
"Well, the widely distributed version's Just for tourists, you know. But long story short - Revelations. This is a sign, boys... and Alyce."
"A sign for what?" Alyce asked.
"The apocalypse."
Bobby found a spell to get rid of the witnesses; it had to be performed in the library though since it required fire. They managed it by the skin of their teeth.
One word, however, kept replaying in Alyce's head as she lay down to sleep that night. The apocalypse.
Alyce woke up to find Castiel sitting on the end of her bed, she didn't remember falling asleep, she didn't feel fully awake either.
"You're dreaming," Castiel said quietly. "You did well today."
Alyce blinked a few times to wake herself up. "Did you just say I'm dreaming?" she asked, picking up her glasses off the bedside table.
Castiel nodded as she crawled over and sat beside him. "Where were you in all this commotion? Aren't you supposed to be helping Dean or something?"
"We had other concerns."
Alyce frowned, by 'we' she assumed he meant other angels. "Is it true?" she asked him, folding her legs underneath her.
"Is what true?"
"That the apocalypse is coming…"
"Yes, the rising of the witnesses is one of the 66 seals," he said turning his head and looking at her for the first time. "Lilith is breaking the seals, she did the spell and rose the witnesses."
Alyse shuddered at the mere sound of her name. "Okay… well what are the seals?" she felt too comfortable around him, she didn't like it. Or maybe it was just because she was dreaming. She had no idea.
"The seals, when they are all broken Lucifer walks free."
"Lucifer? El Diablo Lucifer?" she asked raising an eyebrow. She didn't know what to believe in anymore.
"No, Lucifer is the devil."
Alyce rolled her eyes, apparently angels can't speak Spanish. "So what are the other 65 seals?" she asked him.
"There are hundreds more. That's why you may be fighting a losing battle. Hundreds and she needs only 66."
"That makes me feel better," she muttered.
"They want me back, I'll be in touch," he said solemnly.
Alyce woke up then, it was still dark. 'I'll be in touch'. Did she want that? Castiel was strange, but in a way she liked him. She felt connected some what. She didn't think about too long as she fell back into a dreamless sleep.
AN. This is really late! I'm sorry guys but hopefully it's worth the wait? Quite a bit of Castiel in this, there'll be more as their relationship develops. Please review, it's motivation. :3 OH and has anyone seen Inception yet? God I adore that movie so much. xD
